Wednesday, January 09, 2013

'THERE WILL BE ANOTHER DAY.....'By Peadar O'Donnell ; first published in January 1963.
A temporary rent office was set up at Dungloe and tenants were asked to call there on promise that things would be made easy for them ('1169...' Comment : shades of 'Please self-register' your family home with us so we can tax you on it...'). I took no notice of this performance and the committee placed no ban on it but I think it is likely , indeed, that this was a period when I gave little leadership to the townlands beyond reporting on incidents, for I find a poster issued at Dungloe in September 1926 that I can tell from the wording I did not write.
Seán McCool gave the committee a lot of help - I heard of him regularly from Phil McCauley and I was greatly encouraged by his active interest. He attended meetings of the committee and it is likely that the feeling of working in isolation , from which the townlands suffered at that period, influenced him towards some act on their behalf , outside the district, from which they might draw encouragement. Anyway, without a hint to me that he had the like in mind, he raided the office of the Conyngham Estate at Donegal town , a good thirty miles distant, and took away whatever documents he found there.
The first I knew of it was a telegram addressed to 'Padra' O'Donnell TD, Dungloe , and relayed to me from there : I was one of the Sinn Féin TD's for County Donegal at the time. The telegram read - ' Men calling themselves Republicans called here last night , took away Conyngham rentals. If official and you have any influence , try to get them returned otherwise it will mean a claim of thousands of pounds on the already heavy-taxed Rosses people. Signed Sweeney Agent'. It was not a very welcome message. (MORE LATER).FEAR AND LOATHING IN SOUTH ARMAGH......

The inside story of a personal feud that has left one man dead and tarnished the reputation of the PIRA's most fearsome brigade.From 'Magill' magazine , April 2003.By John Keane.
The innuendo and smears aimed at the victims of these attacks have done little to satisfy the growing anger at what appears to be the settling of personal scores by prominent republicans. As the Adams/McGuinness leadership debates the final chapter in the (P)IRA's history, the "act of completion" that will effectively allow the British government to legislate the unionist veto out of existence * , they cannot continue to ignore the crisis of confidence in South Armagh republicanism which might return to haunt the peace**.
The leadership is faced with the problem encountered by all revolutionary*** organisations - what to do with its generals when the armed struggle has outlived its usefulness.
* The only acceptable method by which the British government can "... legislate the unionist veto out of existence.." is to, firstly, announce a date for it to withdraw its military and political presence from Ireland and, secondly, implement that policy. Westminster (and Leinster House) have attempted everything else - direct rule, indirect rule, genocide, apartheid, puppet parliaments, real parliaments, martial law, civil law, colonisation, land reform and partition, all of which failed to solve their 'Irish problem'. Withdrawal is the only proper solution.
**There has been no "peace" in this country in over 840 years nor can there be in the current circumstances. What there has been is ebbs in the level of opposition to British interference, the low points of which the British (and their colleagues in Leinster House and Stormont) are ever-eager to misrepresent as 'peace'.
***In 1986, Provisional Sinn Féin morphed from a revolutionary organisation into a constitutional political party and was supported in doing so by the PIRA which eventually resulted in the latter surrendering its arms to the British. (MORE LATER).COULD HAVE BEEN A 'LOVE ULSTER' ROUND TWO ?

Anti-Irish loyalist thugs have again threatened to cause havoc on the streets of Dublin.The same gang of semi-political pro-British trouble-makers that caused trouble in Dublin in 2006 last week stated their intention to try and do so again on Saturday 12th January 2013 , and the same instigator was in charge - Willie Frazer , a man who, amongst other strings to his bow, has given EU money-men a reason to look twice before they agree to fund any other 'good causes' in troubled lands. When the 2006 loyalist parade was first mooted, the Republican Movement made its intention known to hold a counter protest and explained its reasons for doing so and those reasons are just as valid today.There is no doubt that counter-protests would have been held on Saturday 12th 2013(if these loyalists had again attempted to parade triumphantly with Union Jack flags through the streets of Dublin , as was their stated intention) and, should they parade through Dublin in their usual sectarian manner in the future and if the State authorities again try and prevent what was then (2006) and would be a peaceful political counter-protest then there is every likelihood that others would have sought to fill the void and raise objections in a non-political manner.
Michael McDowell is not now in the same State Administration position he was then in to welcome his loyalist colleagues to Dublin but his pro-British mentality is alive and well in the so-called 'corridors of power' in this kip of a State and, as such , the shared attitude of 'loyalists welcome/republicans not' still prevails and would no doubt have been acted on in the streets of Dublin had that loyalist parade taken place.Now that this has been postponed, a lesson to be learned by all concerned is that the misguided so-called 'republican voices of caution' (Provisional Sinn Féin , the SDLP ,Fianna Fail and the State Labour Party , all of whom consider themselves to be 'republicans') re people taking to the streets in opposition to Frazer's loyalist bigotry have again been exposed for what they are- establishment figures who haven't the political strength of their alleged 'republican convictions' , who were witnessed to be closer to the establishment point of view than they are to a republican one. There should be no excuse now for politically-aware republican supporters to be taken in by them and, hopefully, supporters like that and others that are interested in Irish republicanism will in future know not to allow themselves to be misled and distracted by those 'establishment republicans' who are now politically and morally closer to those they once fought against then they are to those whom they once stood beside during this on-going struggle. We can thank Willie Frazer for that , if nothing else.PRIVATE ADAMS.

Can't afford private health care ? Here's your trolley....As a mother of three children , working full time outside the family home (as well as in it) and involuntarily (ie it's stopped at source) paying this State more than it deserves, it annoys and sickens me to see wealthy people, politicians in particular, in this society, pontificate about how they can emphasise with people like me and how they can 'feel my pain'. They'll agree that, for instance, it's a dreadful situation to have to subject yourself to the trial and tribulation of that which remains of the taxpayer-funded so-called 'health service' in this State and will do they best to assure you that 'we're all in the same boat in that regard'.Well , we're not. Your health protection money is stopped at source yet when you visit a GP you pay between €50 and €80 for the visit, if sent to hospital you will get billed for it separately and if advised to get a prescription you will be charged, again, by the chemist. A huge percentage of the population in this State is failed and failed regularly by the 'health system' despite paying weekly taxes to maintain the system , and 10-hour 'waiting time' in A+E is now an expected and allowed-for part of , eventually, getting looked at by a doctor. The politicians , the health care 'industry' and the management and their committees are responsible for the collapsing system, as they pay and reward themselves way more than the kitty can sustain. Meanwhile, those of us who pay into the system not only get a very poor return for our money, but have now become conditioned into expecting nothing less than that poor return.Gerry Adams is but the latest in a long line of hypocrites in this regard : a wealthy career politician who gained the trust of enough voters because, amongst other election promises, he stated that he understood the dangers associated with such a run-down and dilapidated health care system and loudly proclaimed that he could affect change to it if he got elected. And he did get elected to Leinster House but, instead of using his position there to constantly campaign , in-house, for the change he spoke about on the election trial he used part of his €1930 a week salary to go for private health care (in America) !That particular politician claims that he 'only' earns €708 a week for his 'job' in Leinster House yet he can afford private health care in a foreign jurisdiction - about as believable as an election 'promise' !'APOLOGISES FOR TRYING TO DEFEND MYSELF WHILST YOU WERE TRYING TO ANNIHILATE ME , BUT CAN I HAVE YOUR PERMISSION TO CARRY A TOY GUN ON MY OWN STREET.....?'

Provo weapons : either toys or , if genuine, only to be used against those that they once fought shoulder-to-shoulder with.If you have lost your once-vaunted 'smell of sulphur' , perhaps the smell of caps will do ? And, actually, the latter would attract a 'better class' of so-called 'support' than the former , even if that former support base had heretofore been with you through hell and high water. Thus the now-prevalent SDLP-type of watery 'nationalists' that form the backbone of the Provisional Sinn Féin camp would have considered this to be 'daring' or somesuch - an opportunity to (safely!) 'prove your rebel credentials' in front of your family , friends and neighbours. And those 'rebels' that participated would have stuck their chest out that wee bit further safe in the knowledge , as stated in the linked article, above, that, regardless of which type of cap gun /water pistol they swaggered through the streets with on that day last summer, they would not be accosted by the genuinely-armed representatives of the parliament responsible for the atrocity they were meekly highlighting :"...(Provisional)Sinn Fein has notified police and the Parades Commission of their intention to hold a public procession in Dungiven on Sunday, August 5, 2012 to commemorate the Hunger Strike...imitation/replica firearms will be on show during these re-enactments. (P)Sinn Fein holds valid certification for these items which will be inspected by police prior to the events..."That encapsulates the 'new republicanism' promoted by British Crown Bailiffs Adams and McGuinness - 'make a name' for yourself during an on-going legitimate campaign of resistance and then , later, seek permission from those you were campaigning and fighting against to hold a demonstration in honour of those days! More like a strong smell of bullshit than a weak odour of sulphur.WATER NEVER SEEN THE LIKE OF IT....!

The CABHAIR organisation were kept busy over the Christmas/New Year period with various fund-raising activities : a 650-ticket raffle and a Christmas Day sponsored swim kept them on the go in Dublin and they weren't far behind in Armagh , Wexford or Kerry, either. And a team of CABHAIR supporters in New York also braved the elements on New Years Day and flew the Fenian flag for our prisoners in the waters of Coney Island !This short post is just by way of saying a big 'Thank You!' to all involved in the above events, as those for whom it was done - the POW'S - are unable to do that themselves. I know from my contacts with the republican prisoners (and their families) how much the actual support - not just the money end of it - means to them in confirming that their comrades in their republican family have not forgot them and never will. And not only at Christmas/New Year time either. Well done to all involved and thanks !WE HAVEN'T HAD ONE OF THESE SINCE LAST YEAR......

.....but we're having one on Sunday next , 13th January 2013 - a 650-ticket raffle in aid of the Republican Movement. And we are boxing clever in advance of it : the sport-mad hotel near Kildare in which we hold the monthly raffle has a very nice and understanding floor-manager who was on to one of the girls from the raffle team to inform her that a good few 'fixtures' are due to be held that same Sunday - apparently , Manchester United are playing a match against Liverpool at around lunch time and then later in the afternoon Arsenal are playing against Manchester City and, as if that wasn't reason enough for us to expect a hectic raffle, Fermanagh are playing against some college or other and Donegal and Monaghan square-up to each other either before or after (or maybe even at the same time!) Antrim do battle with Tyrone. Or something.By all accounts we are going to be rushed off our feet this Sunday and, so far , we can only locate 25 possible tickets that might be returned to us for re-sale between now and then , but we know from experience that even if we had twice that amount it still wouldn't be enough! If we get out of there in one piece and recover enough, I'll post the raffle results here on Sunday night. If you don't see them here by Monday night, send out a search party.....!Thanks for reading,
Sharon.